Agricultural implements are typically towed by a tractor or similar device and include an implement to which a number of shanks are mounted. The shanks are designed to carry an agricultural tool such as a sweep, coulter, spike, or chisel plow. Rather than coupling the tool directly to the shank, increasingly, adapters, also referred to as boots, are being used to mount an agricultural tool to the shank. Some adapters are also designed to receive a seed or fertilizer tube so that product may be dispensed rearward of the tool as the tool passes through the field.
Conventional adapters or boots fit around the outside of the shank thereby increasing the overall width presented at the ground contact level. As a result, any benefit to a shank having a relative narrow leading edge is negated. More particularly, the increased width at the ground engaging level can lead to undesirable soil disturbance and trash flow. In addition, excessive soil disturbance can increase fuel consumption of the tractor as well as increase soil moisture loss, which can negatively impact crop yields.